Golden Silence
by eskimita
Summary: Silenced shortly after his arrival at the Dursley household, Harry Potter has never said a word. Now, at Hogwarts, he's facing new challenges, a manipulative headmaster, and three mates? No one ever said life was easy. THIS STORY IS SLASH! HP/CD/DM/CW
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I make any money from this piece of fanfiction. I am not a doctor, any medical information in this story was made up by my dark and twisted mind and is not, in any way, factual. This story is SLASH. That means that there is male on male on male on male wonderful yumminess. If you don't like that, take a U-turn, do not pass GO, do not collect $200.**

**There are ten chapters of this story that are already written, for the most part. They will be uploaded every two to three days until they are all up. After that, it is a matter of how long it takes me to write up a new chapter of this story.**

November 1, 1981

Vernon Dursley glared at the basket that had been left on the front step of his perfectly respectable, _normal _home.

"I don't care if you're the only blood that thing has left in the world, Petunia. I will not stand to hear it screaming and demanding attention it doesn't deserve at all hours of the day. I won't allow it to keep our precious Dudley awake all night. I know a doctor that will silence it for good and the freaks who left it on our step will never know. Leave it to me, Pet. The freak won't disrupt our lives with its noise."

December 4, 1981

"Thank you Doctor. So, this will keep him silenced for good, right? Good, good. No, the scarring is quite healed. Yes, he's managed to eat. No, I won't tell anyone who did this. We'll come up with a lie when he goes off to school. Yes. Thank you Doctor. Well, Petunia, that was easy. The doctor doesn't want to be discovered- does underground abortions and the such. He won't tell our secret. And the boy will never speak. I told you that I would take care of it. Don't I always take care of you?"

July 31, 1991

Harry reached up his hand to touch the bare skin on the half-giant's hand, trying to communicate with him, trying to get his thoughts through to him. It had sort of worked in the past, he'd think something really hard at a teacher and as long as he was touching her, she'd get the vague idea, although he didn't know why he could push anything through to people. It was never anything big, just an image or two. Mostly when he was injured, he could push the thought of pain through to the teacher and get sent to the nurse.

But the man lumbering ahead of him didn't seem to get anything. Instead, he kept rambling on and on about something called Gryffindors, and how great they were. Harry let out a silent huff and followed the man along, trying to hide from the crowds of people that seemed to be staring at him, treating him like he was an exhibit at the zoo that the Dursleys had been forced to take him to, because his babysitter was ill and couldn't take him on. Harry didn't like it. He could feel people whispering behind his back and he shied away from them, once more trying to communicate with the giant, pushing all his feelings of fear through his hand. But the giant didn't react. Harry huffed and shoved his fear to the side, determined not to break into tears.

July 31, 1991

"'eadmaster thur's somethin' off 'bout 'arry, poor lad. Didn't say a word to me our entire trip to Diagon, I tell yeh. I reckon the lad was scerred, but 'o ever 'eard o' a silent 'leven year old?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine once he's here at Hogwarts, Hagrid. Don't you worry about a thing. Young Harry will be everything we need him to be, I can promise you that."

"'m sure yeh're right bout that, 'eadmaster. Its juz strange, is all, a silent boy like 'arry."

September 1, 1991

Harry Potter, eleven year old wizard and Boy-Who-Lived, silently followed a gaggle of redheads through what looked like a solid brick wall onto a platform that must be the one the gigantic man had told him about. Platform 9 3/4. He stared at all the people bustling by, the parents kissing their children goodbye, the friends reuniting before boarding, and felt a slight pang of loneliness. He'd had to walk to Kings Cross Station from his uncle's work this morning, dragging his heavy trunk behind him. He adjusted the slipping shoulder of his oversized shirt and grabbed back onto his trunk, pulling it towards the red steam engine waiting to take another year's worth of students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As silently as he did everything, he found an empty compartment and sat in it, staring at the window rather than attempting to communicate with the other students who had joined hm.

One boy, a redhead he recognized from the earlier mess, smiled at him and held out his hand. "I'm Ron Weasley. I'm a first year. Are you a first year too? Right exciting, this mess is. My brothers have told me about it, but I never believed them. Guess its just one of those things you have to see. What's your name?"

Harry stared at the boy's blue eyes before looking down at his hand. What was he meant to do? Every time uncle Vernon held out an open palm, Harry ran, afraid of being hit. He cringed back from the redhead, what if this boy meant to hit him too? Harry didn't even spare the boy another glance before dashing out of the compartment and into the narrow passage.

He ran down the passage, not sure where he was going. After all, he was trapped in the train until it stopped moving. As he tried to figure out where he could hide from the redhead, he ran into something solid and felt a pair of arms wrap securely around him. He looked up into the amused grey eyes of a much taller boy. This boy looked like he was at least in his fourth year, he was so tall.

The stranger ran a hand through hair that reminded Harry of a lion's mane and smiled, "Did you get lost?" Harry silently nodded. "Well, you can come sit in my compartment, if you like. My name is Cedric, by the way. Cedric Diggory."

Cedric couldn't be sure, but as he waited for the first year to introduce himself, he swore he heard a quiet voice in his mind whisper, "_I'm Harry Potter."_

As the Hogwarts Express pulled into Hogsmeade station, Harry looked at the people surrounding him. Cedric had kept him in his compartment the entire trip, talking about things that Harry had never heard of like Quidditch and house rivalries. When Harry had given him a blank look, he had explained the house system and promised that no matter what house Harry was in, it wouldn't matter to him. He found that he quite liked the older boy, Cedric was a calming presence to him. When he left the train and realized that he was to be separated from the older boy for the trip to the school, he panicked and grabbed the yellow border of Cedric's robes.

"Harry, you have to go with the other first years. I'll see you at the castle. Go on now, Hagrid is waiting. Don't worry. It'll be fine."

Harry nodded bravely and went over to where the gigantic man who had taken him shopping was leading other kids his age into boats. The redhead boy from the train had spotted him and looked like he was going to approach him again so Harry did the first thing he could think of, he hid behind the closest person.

The body he was huddled behind was skinny like he was, but tall. The boy had the whitest blonde hair Harry had ever seen and even with some sort of shiny substance slicking it back, it looked incredibly soft. As the boy turned silver eyes onto him, Harry blushed and moved to stand so that he was completely blocked from Ron's sight by the boy in front of him. The boy looked into his eyes and nodded slightly before turning and sneering at the redhead.

"Already scare some poor child away from being your friend, Weasel? It's to be expected. People of your ilk lack the tact required to make friends with the more sophisticated among us." The boy reached behind him and grabbed Harry's hand, pulling him towards the boats. "Don't you worry, I won't allow the Weasel to bother you with his presence any longer. You're under the protection of a Malfoy."

Harry wasn't sure why the protection of a Malfoy was something to be proud of, but the way the other boy said it made him feel warm inside. Maybe being at this strange school wouldn't be so bad, already he had met two boys willing to protect him and talk to him. And neither one acted like he was a freak because he didn't talk back. He smiled at the blonde boy before turning his attention to the sight that lay before him.

Harry had never seen anything as magnificent as the building before him. The castle was lit with lanterns that glittered in the night, making it look like something out of the fairy tales he'd overheard being read in his primary school classes. He liked this castle already.

As the boats approached the shore and students began climbing out, the blonde boy grabbed his hand again. "By the way, I'm Draco Malfoy. You can stay with me while we wait to be sorted. We wouldn't want you being harassed by the blood traitor anymore."

Harry smiled at Draco and squeezed his hand, wishing he could speak to the other boy. But he couldn't. He had never said a word in his life. So instead, he looked deep into the boy's eyes and thought his response. "_I'm Harry Potter."_

Draco gasped and looked at him with surprise. "Did you just speak to me in my mind?" Harry nodded shyly before biting his lip. Draco wouldn't protect him anymore. Not now that he'd shown the other boy what a freak he was. He'd already gone and messed up his chances at being friend with the beautiful blonde. A hand waving in front of his face broke him out of his depressing train of thoughts. "Hey, it isn't a bad thing. I've never heard of someone who could speak telepathically. You must be very powerful."

Harry smiled sheepishly, even though he didn't understand what Draco had said, and followed Draco into the school, staring in awe at the sights all around him. Before he could take it all in, a stern looking matron approached the group, looking down on all the 11 year olds.

"When you enter the Great Hall, you will line up in front of the Head Table. I shall call your name and you will sit on the stool there so that the Sorting Hat may place you in your house. Once that has been done, you will join your housemates at the table for the Feast. I expect decorum from all of you, regardless of what house you are placed in."

Harry looked over at Draco and lifted an eyebrow to express his interest in what house Draco would be sorted into.

"I'm going to be a Slytherin. My whole family is in Slytherin."

Harry nodded and wished to whoever was up there that he would be in Slytherin with Draco or Hufflepuff with Cedric so that they could protect him.

The sorting was very long and boring to Harry. He listened as other people were sorted into their houses and clapped loudly when Draco went to Slytherin, just as he'd predicted. Finally, the stern matron called out last names starting with 'P.'

"Parvati Patil."

"GRYFFINDOR."

"Harry Potter."

Harry approached the stool and sent a smile to Draco and Cedric before disappearing under the Sorting Hat.

'Harry Potter, I've waited years to sort you. I know where the headmaster would like to see you placed, but we shall see. Hmmm, you don't lack bravery, but the foolhardy courage that Gryffindor is known for is not in you. You're very wise, but I sense that you will never need to be as studious as a Ravenclaw. You're loyal beyond anyone I've ever sorted before, but Hufflepuff will not serve you well once certain things are revealed, no, I'm afraid there's only one place for you...' "SLYTHERIN."

Harry hopped off the stool and ran to the Slytherin table, sitting next to Draco and slipping his hand into the other boy's. He failed to notice the furious whispers around the Hall and the glares being aimed at his table. Instead, he was happily eating next to his new friend, finally looking forward to this school year.

As the students filed out of the Hall, he felt a hand fall on his shoulder and instinctively fell into a ball. He looked up at the imposing figure in black, slowly unfolding himself and standing back up.

"Mr. Potter, if you are quite through with your dramatics, the Headmaster has requested your presence in his office and given me the odious task of leading you. If you would follow me, I can be rid of you that much sooner." With that, the man turned and strode down the hall, leaving Harry no choice but to run after him.


	2. Chapter 2

**I am not rewriting these chapters that are being posted because, quite frankly, I'm lazy and I don't feel like it right now. That means some will be much shorter than others.**

**Note, reviews that simply say UPDATE SOON on a story that has just been updated do nothing but piss me off. Creative reviews, however, fuel the muse.**

_"Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together..." Thomas Carlyle_

As Harry and the man in black entered the Headmaster's office, Harry felt a wave of something wash over him, attempting to seek out his secrets. He fought back, pushing his secrets deeper into his mind before staring at the old man sitting at the desk.

"_Sir, I don't appreciate my thoughts being stolen from me," _he thought at the man. Behind him, the man in black snorted.

"Severus, is there something you find amusing?"

"It would appear, Headmaster, that Mr. Potter does not find your attempts at Legilimancy amusing."

"And how, dear boy, do you know that?"

"Did you not hear him, Albus? He thought it quite clearly. If I had to guess, I would say he was projecting it just so you would. Although why the boy refuses to speak is beyond me."

Harry turned in surprise to the man in black. His thoughts could only be heard by some? When the man mentioned his refusal to speak, Harry met his eyes and raised his head slowly, exposing the twisted scar on his neck. "_I lost the talking parts, sir."_

The man's eyes widened at the sight of this scar marring the Boy-Who-Lived, a boy who should have no scars other than the lightening bolt on his forehead. He tore his eyes away from Harry and looked back at the Headmaster. The blasted man was calmly putting a lemon drop in his mouth, eyes twinkling with previous knowledge.

"Albus, the boy's voice box has been removed. Did you have knowledge of this?"

"Why, I do seem to recall reading something in his file," he picked up a piece of parchment, "Yes, here it is. The dear boy was subjected to throat surgery when he was four due to a particularly bad illness. The Muggle doctor was unable to save his voice box and was forced to remove it."

"_That's a lie," _Harry thought to the man beside him. Wanting this man to know the truth, he pushed a memory to the front of his mind in an attempt to share it.

* * *

><p><em>December 3, 1984<em>

_"Boy!" uncle Vernon had come home from work early. The four year old stood on shaky legs and waited for his cupboard to be opened. As the door cracked open, a large ham-like hand reached in and grabbed his hair, pulling him out and slamming him into the wall. "Dudley tells me you ate his chocolate. Is that true, freak?"_

_The boy shook his head. He hadn't left his cupboard all day._

_"Speak! Oh, that's right," his uncle ran a harsh hand down his throat, squeezing tightly, "You can't speak. I made sure of that when you were dumped on us. You will never speak."_

_The boy hung his head silently, fighting back his tears as his uncle taunted him._

* * *

><p>September 1, 1991<p>

The man in black pulled away from the memory Harry had shown him, reeling slightly. He looked down with something akin to sadness in his eyes before the emotion was hidden again and he faced the Headmaster once more.

"Headmaster, what is your business with Mr. Potter? This meeting is taking away from my speech to the rest of my snakes and I assure you that I must return to them post haste."

"Of course. Now, Harry," he smiled down at the boy, "I wanted to know if you wished to be resorted. I cannot believe that Slytherin was truly your first choice."

Harry looked up at the man in black who appeared to be biting back a remark. "_I want to stay with Draco. Please sir, don't let him move me."_

The man in black nodded and looked at the Headmaster. "It would be highly unorthodox, Headmaster, to resort a student who has yet to meet his house mates. Further, Mr. Potter has expressed his wishes to remain in Slytherin. Now, if you will excuse us, we must be retiring to the dungeons for the night. Good evening, Headmaster."

The old man's eyes narrowed at Harry but he nodded and dismissed them without further comment. Harry followed the man in black down the stairs and through the halls. As they approached a blank stretch of wall in the dungeons, Harry grabbed the hem of the man's robe to get his attention.

_"Sir, why didn't you tell him what you saw? In my memory?"_

"A Slytherin, Mr. Potter, never reveals knowledge that may be of service to him at a later date. This is your first lesson. Headmaster Dumbledore no doubt already knows of your relatives' abysmal treatment of your person. He does not, however, know that I know, which places me at an advantage. He may allow something else of use slip and thus allow me to figure out what his plans for you are."

Harry nodded his understanding and followed the man into the door that had appeared in the wall. Once inside the room, his eyes immediately sought out Draco, wanting the reassurance that the blonde was there to protect him.

* * *

><p>Severus stared at the small form of Harry Potter, contemplating him silently. The boy was not what he expected, not at all. He'd expected James Potter returned to torment him once again. Instead, he found Lily's eyes, staring up at him from James's face, in a body far too small to belong to either of the elder Potters. No, this boy was tiny, incredibly so. In fact, if Severus had to wager a guess, he would say that Potter had barely eaten in his life. And from the bit of memory that the boy had shared with him, he would guess that to be the case, that the boy had starved. And that thought brought a bigger issue to his mind, an issue that he was far too reluctant to ponder. James Potter's son could not have been abused.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three is very short because, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I didn't combine it with chapter two when writing it. Chapter four will be posted immediately after it and is much longer, I promise.**

"Slytherin is a proud house," the speech began. "It is a house of cunning and intelligence, ambition and patience. Most importantly, Slytherin is a private house. The things you learn in this common room are never to be spread to the other houses. Many in this school consider Slytherin to be evil, but those of us privileged enough to bear the name know otherwise. You, my snakelings, are the next generation of politicians and leaders. Where Gryffindor may produce Aurors, Ravenclaw lawyers, and Hufflepuff Healers, you are the ones who will rule them all. Be wise and observe. Waste no information that you may learn. And help your housemates only so far as doing so helps yourself."

With that last bit of wisdom, the professor turned and left the room in a flourish of robes. Immediately, the new snakes started to murmur amongst themselves, working out exactly what their head of house had meant. Draco left the group of first years and approached Harry, grabbing the smaller boy's hand to lead him to a couch in the back of the room.

"What did the headmaster want? Professor Snape didn't let him do anything to you, did he? Did he try to read your mind? Father says he can read minds."

Harry smiled at his friend. "_He wanted to resort me, but Professor Snape wouldn't let him. I think it annoys him that I'm in Slytherin. He tried to read my mind, but he couldn't even hear the thoughts I tried to send him. If you ask me, that's not a very powerful mind reader."_

Draco laughed at Harry's last comment. "I will tell my father about his attempt to resort you. He isn't allowed to do that, Father won't stand for it. Although I suppose he wanted you to be a Gryffindor like your parents were. Father says the old fool has a soft spot for all things Gryffindor. I think we should ask someone about the fact that he didn't seem to hear the thoughts you sent. Can anybody besides me hear them?"

Harry nodded. "_Professor Snape can. And Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff. You don't mind, do you? That I'm friends with a Hufflepuff?" _Harry couldn't help but think of the insults he'd heard the other Slytherins slinging at the Hufflepuff table, calling them weak, making fun of their loyalty. Draco hadn't said anything insulting himself, but he had laughed at a few of the less harmful jokes and insults.

Draco shook his head. "From what Father has told me, Diggory is a brilliant person, even if his parents are blood traitor followers of the Headmaster. Father says he suspects Diggory purposely chose to be in Hufflepuff so that his parents wouldn't disown him. He's far too cunning to be a real badger."

Harry smiled happily at his friend. "_Why do you think some people can hear my thoughts when others can't? I tried talking to Hagrid like this when he took me shopping, but it didn't work."_

"I suspect it might have something to do with some sort of bond, maybe a creature bond. It's quite common for bondmates to communicate telepathically. We can ask Professor Snape tomorrow after potions. It's almost curfew though, so we should probably find our dorm room."

The topic of bonds flew over Harry's head entirely, the shock of the day finally hitting him. But he nodded anyway, hoping that everything would make more sense in the morning.

Harry followed his friend down the hall that led to the dorm rooms and into the room marked for first years. Draco kicked one of the other boys off the bed next to his before gesturing for Harry to take it. Before the blonde closed his curtains for the night, he smiled at Harry and whispered a good night wish. Harry fell asleep with a smile on his face and thoughts of his two new friends on his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter three is so short that if you blink you'll miss it, but it is there. If you came straight to chapter four, go back one space, read chapter three, and then proceed.**

**October 13, 2014: My stories are all on hiatus while I move to Alabama. They will be updated when I have internet again.**

September 2, 1991

Harry woke with a start, not sure where he was or why he was laying in a proper bed. The green curtains that surrounded him shifted and a blonde head poked through.

"Harry! Get up! If we don't get to the Great Hall then we won't have time for breakfast and to get our schedules."

Harry smiled as the memories from the day before rushed back into his mind. He was in a school to learn magic! And the other boy could hear his thoughts!

As soon as he remembered that Draco could hear his thoughts, something occurred to him and he pulled the blonde onto the bed with him so he could ask him questions. "_Draco, yesterday you said something that I don't understand. I think I was in shock when it happened. What did you mean about a creature bond? Like snakes and lions or some other kind of creature? I'm human! I can't be a creature."_

Draco laughed and stood up, pulling Harry from the warm covers. "You're in the magical world now, Harry, things are different. There are magical creatures that are human in appearance until they reach their majority and their true appearance is revealed. There are also creatures, like werewolves, who don't need their majority to transform, but they only transform during the full moon, the rest of the time they really aren't human. There are probably books in the library that we can read to explain more."

As he explained, Draco pulled his uniform on and grabbed Harry's uniform from his trunk, shoving it at the smaller boy. Harry got dressed automatically, trying to make sense of what Draco had just told him.

"_You mean it's possible that I'm not a human? That I'm some sort of creature?" _Draco nodded and Harry whimpered, mouthing the word 'freak' over and over again. Draco grabbed his face, forcing him to look up into silver eyes.

"Hey, in our world, creatures are proud of their heritage, except werewolves and that's because they're dangerous without Wolfsbane to control their urges. If you are a creature, you aren't a freak. You're amazing, no matter what you are. Although," Draco held up an oversized shirt that had once been Dudley's, "I'll be finding you better clothing. I can't have you wearing something as abysmal as this."

Harry smiled at the other boy, not really believing him but he was unwilling to fight with his new friend. Instead, he grabbed his backpack and one of Draco's hands, pulling him to the common room and out the door.

They were met outside the Great Hall by Cedric, who looked relieved once he laid eyes on Harry. "Harry! How are you? How was your first night? Did you settle in okay?"

Harry beamed up at him, grabbing Cedric's hand and pulling both him and Draco into the Hall and to the end of the Slytherin table.

"_Good morning Cedric. How are you this morning? Did you know that the headmaster isn't as good at reading minds as he thinks he is? He can't even hear the thoughts that I project like you, Draco, and Professor Snape can. Draco says there's might be some kind of bond like a creature bond, but we have to ask Professor Snape. You don't think that would make me a freak, do you?"_

Harry looked up at Cedric with wide green eyes, not wanting his friendship to be rejected by the other boy. When Cedric squeezed his hand and smiled, he breathed a sigh of relief before releasing the other boys to stare at the food laid out on the table.

The trio ate their breakfast in silence, ignoring the stares and glares that they were receiving. When an older Slytherin approached and demanded that Cedric return to the Hufflepuff table, Draco sneered at him and held Cedric in place, not bowing to the demands of the older boy. Harry smiled at Draco in thanks, squeezing the hand that he still clasped under the table.

As breakfast drew to a close, Professor Snape approached the Slytherin table and started distributing timetables to the older snakes. When he finally came to the end of the table where Draco and Harry waited, Cedric had left to get his own schedule from his Head of House.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, here are your timetables. I would suggest that you are timely for each of your classes and do not procrastinate with your work. And Mr. Potter, just because you cannot communicate does not excuse you from your work. It would do you well to remember that you are nothing special, that no one truly cares that poor Potter can't speak." The professor swept away from them with a sneer on his face.

"Merlin, Harry! I've never seen Uncle Sev that mean to anyone. It must be because of your parents. Father tells me that Uncle Sev and your father hated each other when they were in school. Don't worry about what he said though. I won't let him continue to be mean to you. My Father will hear about this."

Harry nodded silently, not sure what to think about the professor who had shown no sign of liking him since the night before. Instead, he looked down at his timetable so that he could ask Draco where their first class was. Before he could think his question, Cedric approached them again, his own timetable in hand.

"Harry, what's your first class?" Harry handed him his timetable with a questioning look in his eye. "Oh, herbology! Professor Sprout teaches that. She's Head of Hufflepuff. I have Care of Magical Creatures first, so I can walk outside with you, if you like. Professor Kettleburn tends to have us meet him by the greenhouses anyhow."

Harry nodded his thanks and reached out to take Cedric's hand, looking over at Draco to see if he was planning on walking with them. Draco nodded at him and took his other hand, looking over his shoulder to direct two mammoth sized boys to follow them.

The trio walked out to the greenhouses, Cedric chatting the entire way. When they reached the greenhouses, Cedric pulled Harry aside and told Draco to wait inside for him. Once Draco had left, Cedric looked down at Harry.

"Harry, I want you to be careful today. Don't go anywhere without Draco or myself. Some of the other 'puffs overheard the Gryffindors plotting to try and get you alone so they can punish you for being a snake. Don't go near any of them, okay?"

Harry nodded and Cedric kissed his forehead before watching him walk into the greenhouse. Harry stopped at the door and smiled at his friend before joining Draco.

"What did Diggory want?"

"_He told me to stay with you and not let any Gryffindors near me._"

"As if I would let one of those losers near you. You don't need their type of friendship anyway. Gryffs are a stupid bunch, always rushing off into unknown situations without thinking. It's a miracle any of them live long enough to procreate."

Draco continued spouting stories about the stupidity and bullheadedness of Gryffindors the entire class. Even as he took notes, he would doodle a miniature Gryffindor on his paper and make it confront a herd of elephants, or try to slay a King Cobra. Harry just shook his head and thanked the Fates that he wasn't in the house of the lion. He didn't think he would like being separated from Draco like that.

When herbology finally ended, Harry breathed a sigh of relief and headed back to the castle. They had Transfigurations next and he didn't want to be late. The stern matron from last night was the teacher, and Harry feared her wrath if he wasn't in class on time.

When they entered the classroom, there was an old tabby cat sitting on the desk watching them. Harry stared into the cat's eyes and blinked. This cat looked far more intelligent than any of the cats that old Mrs. Figg kept at her house. As he slipped into his seat, Harry pondered the different reasons there were for a cat to look as though it had years of human life behind it, not just years of being a cat. The door chimed, signaling that class time had begun and still there was no sight of Professor McGonagall. The redhead from the day before wrenched open the door and sat down in a seat, a cocky smile on his face at having beaten the Professor.

Before Ron could open his mouth to brag, the cat jumped off the desk and morphed, becoming the Transfigurations Professor. Harry could hear the redhead cursing under his breath.

"That will be five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for tardiness. And another five for such foul language." she turned back to the rest of the class and flicked her wand at the board before launching into her lecture. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Harry watched as she turned her desk into a pig and back into a desk again. He wanted to learn that. Everything she spoke to them about, he wrote down on his parchment, his quill scratching the surface constantly. When they were instructed to transfigured a match into a needle, Harry happily pulled out his wand and imitated the movement that he had seen the Professor make in her demonstration. His first attempt failed, but on his second try, Harry was delighted to see his match become a perfect sewing needle. He made a strangled noise in his excitement, the only sound he was capable of producing. Hearing the noise, Professor McGonagall approached his table and examined his work.

"Very well done, Mr. Potter. I do believe that five points to Slytherin will suffice to reward you and encourage progress in your classmates."

Harry beamed, and spent the rest of the class mentally aiding Draco with his match. After two hours, they finally left the room for the Great Hall and lunch.

At lunch, Harry was reminded of something Draco had said that morning and looked over at his blonde friend.

"_Draco, why did you call Professor Snape 'Uncle Sev' this morning? Is he related to you?"_

Draco laughed and shook his head. "Professor Snape is my godfather. If something happens to my parents, I'll go live with him. He's been in my life for as long as I can remember."

Harry nodded to show that he understood before turning back to his food.

After lunch, Harry and Draco went to Defense Against the Dark Arts, hands clasped together. Harry wasn't sure why students needed to learn how to fight, but when he asked Draco, the blonde told him that he would explain later, so Harry had no choice but to wait.

The defense professor was a peculiar man with a bad habit of stuttering and a smelly turban on his head. Immediately, Harry decided that this man made him extremely uncomfortable and he didn't like him. The progression of class just served to further that decision. The man stared at Harry like he was the treacle tart they'd had for dessert the night before. Without realizing it, Harry reached out under the desk and grasped Draco's hand in his, drawing comfort from the way the blonde ran his thumb across the back of Harry's hand. When the door chimed, Harry took off towards the dungeons and the Potions lab, he couldn't get there soon enough.

Harry and Draco sat at their bench silently as Professor Snape called their names. When he came to Harry's name, he sneered, causing the other Slytherins to wiggle in discomfort. The unexpected harshness continued throughout the lesson as Professor Snape insulted Harry's intelligence, making fun of him for not knowing something that the other Slytherins hadn't known either. By the time class was over, every single Slytherin was uncomfortable, fidgetting nervously as they waited to be dismissed. Professor Snape wasn't mean to Slytherin like he was to the other houses. That was common knowledge. To hear him insulting the intelligence of a fellow snake made them extremely uncomfortable.

Harry took notes throughout the class, looking over at Draco's notes to make sure that he didn't miss anything. Even though Professor Snape had insulted him the entire time they were in the classroom, Harry was determined to learn from the man. He would not allow a childhood hatred of his father to affect his own opinion of the teacher. For all he knew, his father could be like Uncle Vernon, who was the worst sort of human ever. Harry would not presume to know what a dead man was like.

Finally, Potions ended and students began to file out of the classroom in twos. Harry and Draco stayed put, intent on asking the Professor about why some people could hear Harry think. Draco, already upset with his godfather, refused to wait patiently. He hopped off his seat and strode to the front of the room, glaring up at Snape.

"Your treatment of Harry in class today was uncalled for, _Professor._ You know as well as I that the boy has yet to have a chance at learning without risking life and limb. You know what his Muggles did to him, must you attempt to reaffirm the damage they have done? I won't stand for it, and neither will Father. Now, Harry and I have some questions for you to answer."

Professor Snape glared at the blonde before sighing. "Very well, Mr. Malfoy. I will listen to you ask your less than intelligent questions about a topic as plebeian as the Boy-Who-Lived. I will not, however, answer any questions I feel are far too idiotic to justify wasting my time on. I refuse to bow down and worship Hogwarts' newest celebrity, and there is nothing you or _your father_ can do about it."

Draco glared back at the professor, his silver eyes alight with fury. Not wanting his friend to get in trouble, Harry grabbed Draco's arm and pulled hard.

"_Dray! Stop! Don't get in trouble. D-don't get hit."_

Draco stepped back and looked down at Harry, nodding before pulling Harry against his side. He pressed a reassuring kiss to Harry's forehead before looking back at Snape. "Professor, we have some questions. Why can we hear Harry? Why can't anyone else? I remember reading some of Father's books about creature inheritances and they said some creature bonds have telepathic links. Are there any other bonds that cause links like that? What happened? Why can't he talk? Professor, tell me. Please."

Professor Snape was quiet for a few moments and Harry shook with the weight of his worry that the professor would punish them for Draco's question. Finally, the professor took a deep breath and spoke.

"I too have found myself curious about Mr. Potter's abilities and I've done some preliminary research. As far as my research can indicate, Mr. Potter is most likely Fae. It is the only magical creature inheritance that could explain his telepathic talents. However, he is nowhere near the age when a half-breed would have access to those talents. If I were not ensured of his mother's _unfortunate _bloodline, I would hazard a guess that your friend is a Fae child."

Harry looked at Draco, hoping that what the professor said made sense to him.

"Why can we hear him though? Why can't everyone?"

"I have read about that too. All the books indicate that a Fae has four people who can connect their minds to his. Usually, one of those people is a parent, the other three are mates. As I am the oldest person who can hear Mr. Potter, I assume that he somehow connects me to him in a parental manner. You and Mr. Diggory are most likely his mates. It is highly possible that in the future, Mr. Potter will connect with another young person to complete his circle. Until his circle is complete, his magic will be difficult to control and he will not reach his full potential. Mr. Potter, you will come to me should you lose control. We are the only people who will be capable of stabilizing you."

Harry looked up and met the professor's eyes briefly, nodded and looked back down. He still didn't understand everything that the professor said, but Draco seemed to accept him at his word. And if Draco trusted the professor then Harry would too.

"_Professor? What if one o-of my m-mates doesn't w-want me?"_

"A valid question, Mr. Potter, but not one you need to worry about. If one of your mates chooses to reject the bond, then your Fae will attempt to win that mate. If you are not successful, your Fae will find someone who will not reject you. You will not suffer any pain from rejection."

Harry pursed his lips together but nodded. The professor had said that rejection wouldn't hurt, but Harry knew that being unwanted wound hurt more than anything. He wouldn't disagree with the professor though. That would be rude.

Draco thanked the professor and grabbed Harry's hand, pulling him from the room. The blonde didn't say anything as they left the dungeons, headed towards the library. Once they had entered the library, he pulled Harry to a table where Cedric sat with several other Hufflepuffs.

"Cedric, I hate to be rude, but Harry and I need to speak to you."

Cedric nodded, made his excuses, and followed Draco to a pair of armchairs in the back of the room. Draco and Cedric both sat in one, leaving Harry to look between the two before Cedric smiled and pulled Harry into his lap. Harry blushed but snuggled close to the older boy contently.

"We spoke to Professor Snape after potions today. He has a theory about why we can hear Harry in our heads. He said that the Fae have telepathic abilities like Harry does, but Harry shouldn't be showing signs of his inheritance because his mother is Muggleborn. Apparently Fae have three mates and a parental figure who can 'hear' them. Professor Snape said he's probably the parental figure so you and I are two of his mates. But we don't know why he's showing his inheritance or who his third mate is yet."

Harry watched Cedric's face for a reaction to the mouthful of information he had just been given. He looked thoughtful and he got a small smile before hugging Harry close.

"I have a theory about both." Draco nodded at Cedric to continue. "Sometimes, a younger mate's inheritance is reached once the oldest mate has reached his. This is usually to allow the older mate to sense the presence of his mates so that he can find and protect them. I think our Harry's oldest mate has at least reached the age of fifteen, and a creature inheritance. In all likelihood, you and I will probably go through any creature inheritances available in our bloodlines. I'll have to research the possibilities in each of our cases."

Draco pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "I will owl Father and Mother for a copy of the Malfoy and Black family trees. Once I have them, I'll give them to you. In the meantime, is it safe to assume that you accept this?"

"Yes." Cedric's arms tightened around Harry and he pressed his lips to Harry's hair. "I may not know Harry or you yet, but our magic has seen fit to connect us for life. I will not deny my magic."

Harry smiled up at Cedric and shyly squeezed one of his hands. Then he looked at the blonde across from him. "_Draco? Are _you _ok with this?" _

Draco left his chair and knelt down in front of Harry and grabbed his free hand. "I agree with Cedric, Harry. We are connected. We will get to know each other and we will find our fourth mate. We can do this, luv."

Harry smiled and flung his arms around Draco, pulling Cedric down with him.

"_Thank you! I've never belonged before and now I can! Thank you."_

There were happy tears running down Harry's cheeks and Draco wiped them gently.

"We'll be here, Harry. Always."

From the shadows, heated eyes watched and nodded in approval as the mates began asking each other questions and laughing together. Harry Potter would be a force to be reckoned with once he found his final mate.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am back! I finally have internet again.**

**I am currently working on the next chapters of my other stories, as well as a new Harry Potter/Criminal Minds story that popped into my head during those horrible weeks without internet.**

**Thank you everyone for your patience. Posting will return to a semi-normal schedule.**

September 3, 1991

_Dearest Father,_

_Hogwarts is everything you told me it would be. Professor McGonagall is most strict, but I will endeavor to become accustomed to her way of teaching. Headmaster Dumbledore will not be my favorite person, I can already tell._

_You won't believe what has happened, Father! I have met Harry Potter. He isn't at all what I expected him to be. He's small, almost as small as I was when I was eight. And he doesn't speak, at all. His Muggle uncle had his voice box removed. That just confirms what we've always known about those dreadful Muggles though. But I can hear him in my head Father! Uncle Sev did some research and he believes Harry is a Fae. He says I can hear Harry in my head because I'm one of his mates. Did you know that Fae have three mates and a parent who they can communicate with telepathically? Uncle Sev is Harry's parent figure. So far, he's found me and one other mate, Cedric Diggory. _

_You will approve of Cedric, I believe. He may be in Hufflepuff, but he is the top of his year. I know his parents are Blood Traitors, but from what I've seen of Cedric, he does not blindly follow what they have taught him._

_Uncle Sev isn't sure why Harry's Fae inheritance is showing itself now, but Cedric has a theory. He says that its possible Harry's third mate is at least fifteen and has already reached his creature majority. _

_Cedric has requested both the Malfoy and Black genealogies so that he can research possible creature inheritances for me. He believes that if our oldest mate is actively searching for us, then our own inheritances will be pushed to break through._

_I must request, Father, that something be done about the Headmaster. He has already attempted to have Harry resorted out of Slytherin and I have noticed several first year Gryffindors following us outside of our shared classes. I will not stand for it, Father. Harry and I may be eleven, but Cedric and I are his older mates and we will protect him._

_I will write again soon, Father. Give my best to Mother._

_I remain yours,_

_Draconis_

Harry was sitting in the library with Draco, working on an essay for Transfigurations when the owl came. He looked up as the owl landed in front of his friend and raised an eyebrow.

"I wrote to Father this morning requesting my genealogies. Cedric wanted to research possible inheritances so that we know what to expect if our creatures awaken early like yours did. I'll just run these over to him. You stay here."

Harry nodded and Draco left the library in search of their Hufflepuff mate. Harry was about to return to his essay when a group of Gryffindor first years surrounded him. He gulped and looked at them in surprise.

"We need to talk to you, Potter," Ron Weasley spoke for the group. "You are a disgrace to your family name. No Potter has ever been a Slytherin. No Halfblood either, for that matter. You don't belong with the snakes. Whatever game you're playing at, it won't work. The Slytherins won't accept you. So stop playing. Come to Gryffindor. Its where you belong. The Headmaster is prepared to move you today. Come on."

Ron motioned to another Gryffindor boy and both reached a hand out to grab one of Harry's arms. Harry curled into a ball in fright, trying to escape the other boys. Terrified grunts escaped his throat as he tried to call attention to himself.

"Let him go! Can't you see you're scaring him?" A new voice rang out from somewhere nearby. Harry peeked up to see a bushy-haired girl with her wand in her hand glaring at the Gryffindors holding Harry. "Let go of him. He's done nothing to you, and even if he had done something, its hardly fair that two of you go up against one of him.

Ron sneered at the girl and tightened his grip on Harry's arm. "The Headmaster wants to see him. We were sent to fetch him, but he doesn't want to come."

"I hardly see that as a reason to assault him. Let go. I'm sure he's perfectly capable of walking by himself."

"Nobody asked you, Granger," one of the girls in Ron's group weighed in."Go back to your books and mind your own business."

There were sounds of agreement from the other Gryffindors and Harry felt tears reach his eyes. Where was Draco? Or Cedric? Won't they supposed to keep him safe?

"Mr. Weasley you will remove your hands from Mr. Potter immediately." Harry looked up through his tears and smiled at the sight of Professor Snape stalking into the library. "What happened here, Mr. Potter?"

_"Professor! Where are Draco and Cedric? Please find them. I need them." _Harry huddled close to the professor, showing the man what had happened since Draco left. When he was done replaying the memory, he looked back over at the bushy-haired girl. "_Please tell her thank you, Professor. She helped me."_

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter would like to express his thanks for your help. Thank you." The girl nodded and Professor Snape looked back down at Harry. "Come, Mr. Potter, we will find your mates and the four of us will go to the Headmaster's office together."

Harry followed the professor from the library, resisting the urge to hold on to the man's robes. He didn't know what the Headmaster could possibly want, but he didn't want to go back there. The Headmaster terrified him.

When Professor Snape pushed open the door to the Headmaster's office, Harry found Draco and Cedric already there, sitting next to a stranger with red hair much like Ron's. The Headmaster had a strange twinkle in his eye that made Harry nervous, and he was smiling at the redhead. Harry looked over at the stranger, squirming at the intense look in his eye. He was looking at Harry possessively, almost like he wanted to snatch Harry away from Professor Snape. It made Harry nervous, and he looked over at Draco, begging the blonde to come and comfort him.

"Ah, Severus, thank you for bringing young Mister Potter to my office. You may leave now." The Headmaster's twinkle grew as he stared at Professor Snape, waiting for him to leave.

"I think not, Headmaster. I have a duty to this boy, as his head of house, and I will remain here. Why is the young Mr Weasley staring at my charge?"

The redhead growled and stood up, coming closer to Harry and Professor Snape. Harry slipped behind the professor, hiding. The redhead stopped and stared at him, his eyes narrowing in suspicion before he looked at Professor Snape.

"Professor, why is he scared?"

"Mr Weasley, you will find that Mr Potter does not like it when people approach him without speaking to him. Perhaps a less... predatory gaze would also be appreciated."

The redhead nodded and his eyes softened as he looked at Harry, kneeling down. "Harry? Can you come out from behind Professor Snape, please?" He held out a hand to the boy.

Harry edged around Professor Snape's leg, looking at the redhead's hand nervously. He looked back up at Professor Snape. "_He won't hurt me, right?"_

"No, Mr Potter, he will not hurt you."

Harry nodded and stepped forward, grabbing the stranger's hand timidly. He stared at the redhead in shock when he felt a spark in his fingertips. "_What? Why do you send out sparks?"_

The redhead chuckled and held Harry's hand tighter. "It is what happens when an elf touches his mate, Harry. I'm very glad that I've finally found you."

"_Mate? You're my last mate?"_

"Yes Harry, I'm Charlie."


	6. Chapter 6

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September 3, 1991

The atmosphere in the Headmaster's office was tense, nobody was speaking. Instead, all eyes were glued to the pair on the floor by the door. Charlie Weasley was kneeling down, one hand clasped around Harry's like he was the most fragile person on earth. Harry stood, unsure of himself, and fidgeted, moving from foot to foot. Finally, Draco stood up and huffed, coming over to wrap his arm around Harry's shoulder.

"So, a Weasley is our fourth mate? At least it isn't Ronald, I suppose. I'm Draco Malfoy."

Draco held a hand out to Charlie, gasping when Charlie's hand closed around his, sending sparks up his arm.

"Wow, that was weird. Will that happen every time I touch you?"

"No, it should only happen the first time."

Draco nodded and looked over at Cedric, who was still seated across from the Headmaster's desk. Cedric stood up and joined them, wrapping his arms around Harry. Charlie looked up and nodded at him in approval. Maybe having his established mates with him would make this easier on Harry.

"Harry, I've been searching for my mate for years. I'd lost all hope that I would find you. But here you are."

_"If I'm your mate, but Draco and Cedric are too, why didn't you feel them before me? They're older than I am. Shouldn't you have felt them first?"_

"That isn't how it works with elves, Harry," Cedric spoke up at last, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "Elves only have one mate normally. But Charlie has three because you're fae. If you weren't fae, you'd be his only mate."

Harry looked up at Cedric before looking at Charlie and frowning. "_Does this mean that you don't want Cedric and Draco? Because they're really nice to me. I don't want to lose their friendship."_

Charlie shook his head, pulling Harry into a loose hug. "No, Harry. They're my mates as much as you are, now. I just couldn't feel them until I could feel you. And until you boarded the Hogwarts Express, I couldn't feel you. It took me a few days to get here though, I was training in Romania, but I'm back here now. I'll be here for you."

Harry couldn't help the small smile that broke out. He hugged Charlie and looked up at him shyly, his hand reaching up to touch the red hair on Charlie's head, pushing it away from his face. He had completely forgotten that anyone other than his mates was in the room.

"Now that you boys have met, we have several things to discuss. Please, sit down, all of you. Lemon Drop?"

Harry froze at the sound of the Headmaster's voice, shrinking into Charlie in fear. Charlie frowned but stood up, picking Harry up in his arms and sitting in one of the chairs, his hands rubbing Harry's back. Draco and Cedric sat on either side of him, each of them reaching a hand over to touch Harry. At the contact of all of his mates, Harry calmed slightly.

"Now, Harry, my boy, Mr Weasley will need to be near you in order to keep himself calm and to help you stabilize your magic. I do wish you had trusted me enough to tell me of this inheritance of yours, but nonetheless we will work with it." The Headmaster sent a disapproving glare at Harry before continuing. "As such, you, Mr Malfoy, and Mr Diggory will be moving into private rooms with Mr Weasley. Charlie, you were a Gryffindor, were you not? You can have the old Head Boy rooms in the tower. Percy is living in renovated rooms, so you won't be kicking him out."

Harry looked up at Charlie, shaking his head. _"Don't make me live in Gryffindor Tower. Please. Don't make me live near the Gryffindors. Please." _He pushed his fear through to Charlie, trying to show how terrified he was of the idea of living with the Gryffindors.

Charlie looked confused before nodding. "Headmaster, my mates all live in the dungeons. All of their friends are in the dungeons. It would be unfair of you to expect them to live in Gryffindor Tower. Especially Harry and Draco, they will not be welcome in the tower, and you know it."

Professor Snape, who had been silently observing up until this point, spoke up at last. "Headmaster, Mr Potter must be near me as well as his mates. It is vital for the balancing of his magic. The boys will stay in my rooms. I have already asked the castle to arrange a space for them and it should be complete by the time we are finished here. I am sure you will find it to be quite satisfying."

The Headmaster pursed his lips, the twinkle in his eye diminishing, before he nodded. "Very well, Severus. I do wish you had told me before, of course, but I suppose that is acceptable. Now, Mr Weasley, I am counting on you to teach young Harry and your other mates everything important about the Wizarding World of today. As the the oldest, you are the leader of your group, and I would hope that you can show them the way of the light."

Draco gave an affronted sigh, causing his mates to look over at him. He shook his head slightly, not saying anything. Instead, he looked over at the Headmaster, eyes hardening in anger. "And you, Headmaster? Will you be continuing on your mission to have my mate resorted into Gryffindor, despite the fact that the Sorting Hat has put him in Slytherin? Or will you simply resort to using Legilimancy to try and read his mind so that you can manipulate him?"

The Headmaster shook his head, popping a lemon drop in his mouth and smiling. "Now, Mr Malfoy, I would never put a child at risk like that. You have been raised in the Wizarding World, and you know that it is not safe to use Legilimancy on a child. I am quite offended that you would even suggest it."

Professor Snape snorted behind them and Harry glared at the Headmaster.

_"He tried to read my mind! He tried to force himself into my head and read my thoughts! He's only lying because he couldn't read anything in my mind so he's covering for himself!"_

All of his mates ran their hands down his back, trying to calm him as Harry shook in anger. They could feel his magic snapping throughout the room, sending sparks through their skin. Charlie leaned down to press his lips to Harry's hair, trying to sooth him.

"Hush, little emerald. Hush. I believe you. Draco and Cedric and Professor Snape believe you. We will not allow the Headmaster to hurt you. You are safe with us. We will not leave you. And the Headmaster will not invade your mind again. I promise you, emerald. Calm down."

Harry took a deep breath and calmed, leaning against Charlie and closing his eyes. "_I want to leave now. Please. I don't want to be around the Headmaster any more."_

Charlie nodded and stood, looking over at the Headmaster. "My mate is tired, and we will be retiring now. If you need to speak to us, it can wait until tomorrow. Good day Headmaster."

With that, the four mates and Professor Snape swept out of the office and through the halls, on their way to Professor Snape's quarters. They didn't say a word, but each mate was wrapped up in his own thoughts, all focussed around Harry. On the way through the Entrance Hall, they were stopped by a furious redhead. Ron stood at the stairs to the dungeons, hands on his hips, glaring.

"Charlie, what are you doing with those freaks? You're supposed to be in Romania. Have you told mum that you're back? Why are you holding Potter? He's nothing but a worthless Slytherin."

Harry stiffened in Charlie's arms, curling up as best he could and hiding his face against his mate's chest. Charlies arms tightened around him for a minute before he passed Harry to Cedric, approaching his brother. Harry wrapped himself around Cedric, hiding from the confrontation that was taking place in front of them.

"Ronald Billius Weasley you will not insult my mate like that." Charlie towered over Ron, growling at him. "You are an immature child and you will leave my mate alone. If I see you bothering any of my mates, you will regret it."

Ron turned red in anger, staring defiantly up at his brother. "Mate? That's ridiculous! I'm telling mum about this. You know she can't stand the Malfoys and she'll never approve of you mating with one of them. You're going to regret this."

Charlie growled again and Ron turned and ran, headed up the stairs that led to Gryffindor Tower. Happy that his brother had left, Charlie turned to where Cedric stood, Harry huddled in his arms.

"Harry, listen to me. Nothing my parents or my brothers say is going to change that you are my mate. You are not a freak. Come here, emerald."

Harry slowly looked over at Charlie, letting go of Cedric and reaching out for his redheaded mate. Charlie wrapped his arms around Harry and kissed his hair, rubbing his back soothingly. A cough from Professor Snape made them both look up.

"If we may, the dungeons are a more suitable place for this touching conversation."

The mates nodded and headed after the professor to his quarters, this time with no interruptions. Once they had settled on a couch in the professor's quarters, each of the mates started talking.

"I didn't know the Weasleys had creature blood," came from Draco.

"I found out what inheritances we can expect," Cedric interupted.

"Some explanations are in order, I believe," was Charlie's comment.

Harry looked at all three of his mates and smiled, a strange, almost strangled laugh escaping him. Charlie smiled down at him before looking at the others.

"Now, Draco, yes, the Weasleys have creature blood. However, it has been years since anyone has manifested. Bill and I were the only ones to show any sign of having enough power to manifest a creature inheritance, but Bill didn't. As you can see, I did."

"Are you wearing a glamour, then? You don't look like an elf."

Charlie nodded and closed his eyes, releasing the glamour around his face. When he opened his eyes back up, sapphire blue looked back at his mates. His eyes, which had been dark blue before, now glittered in the firelight of Professor Snape's rooms, like the jewels. His freckles had faded, leaving pale white skin in their wake. His hair, which had been fiery red before, had darkened to a deep scarlet. He looked down at Harry, still wrapped in his arms, and smiled.

"Well?"

_"You look better like this. Like you came out of a fairy tale."_

Charlie looked over at Cedric and nodded at him. "Cedric? What did you have to say?"

Cedric pulled out the genealogies Draco had given him, along with his own. "I took a look at these earlier, when Draco gave me his, and I think I've found the creatures that run in our lines. A few of them are more dilute than others, so I don't think those will be our inheritances. As far as I can tell, Draco is probably going to be a Veela," Draco snorted and nodded, "And I have elf blood in me too, so that's my most likely inheritance. Apparently, Charlie, it runs in the Prewitts too. My great-uncle was an elf. I think, if I remember correctly, he was your mother's grandfather. But I can't remember."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah, he was. So, another elf and a Veela. Well, Harry, you do have powerful creatures for mates. Now, I think we need to hear about you. Would you like to tell us why you can't speak?"

Harry sighed and closed his eyes, preparing himself to tell his story.


	7. Chapter 7

**Two updates in a row! Don't get used to it, please. It won't happen very often.**

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_"I was left on the Dursley's doorstep, with a note. They said that the note told them that my parents died in a car accident, and that they had to take care of me. Uncle Vernon, he didn't want to take me in. But they had to. So he decided to make sure I would never talk._

_"Uncle Vernon, he's proud about the fact that my surgery is the only thing that ever cost them money, for me. It happened a few days after I was sent to them, I think. The doctor cut out my talking parts and sewed me back up. But he left this scar." _Harry tilted his head up, showing the scraggly scar on his neck. _"I've never been able to talk."_

"Oh Harry," Charlie hugged his youngest mate close to him, running his fingers through Harry's messy hair. "Your parents didn't die in a car accident, emerald. They were killed by an evil wizard. They died protecting you."

Draco watched silently, slipping his hand into Harry's. "We'll tell you everything we know about how your parents died, Harry. I promise. But can you answer a few more questions for us?"

Harry nodded, peeking out from his spot against Charlie's chest. "Can you tell us what else the Dursleys did? We need to know so that we can protect you."

Harry nodded again before his voice filled their minds once more. "_Dudley, my cousin, didn't like having another boy his age around his parents. He was always beating me up. And Uncle Vernon, he like to hit me. If the chores that Aunt Petunia assigned me weren't done perfectly, Uncle Vernon would spank me. He'd spank me until I was crying. Aunt Petunia started making me do the chores when I was four. I had to clean the kitchen and the bathrooms, I had to help with the food, and eventually, I had to clean Dudley's bedroom. I had to do it every day. Aunt Petunia hated if even one thing was out of place. If I did all my chores right, I'd get a proper cheese sandwich and half a glass of water. If I didn't do them right, I'd get sent to my cupboard without food._

_"Once primary school started, Aunt Petunia sent me to school with a cheese sandwich every day so no one would ask why I didn't eat. She even gave me the uniforms that were too tight on Dudley, even though they were too big for me. I didn't even learn that my name was Harry Potter until after the first day of primary school. The teacher didn't understand why I didn't know what name was supposed to go on my papers. That night, Aunt Petunia told me that I was Harry Potter, and that my parents were useless drunks."_

"Petunia did this?" Professor Snape had been silent before, but now, he was practically fuming. Ignoring the way Harry shied away from him, he ranted on. "Petunia did this to her own nephew? I know she was jealous of Lily, but that is no excuse. There is no reason to ever treat a child like that, especially-"

"Professor Snape," Cedric stood up to confront the professor. "You're scaring Harry. Please, at least speak quieter."

Professor Snape took a deep breath and nodded. "I do apologize, Mr Potter. Now, did your aunt ever say why she was so nasty to you?"

Harry nodded again, shyly looking over at the professor. "_She said that she wouldn't make the same mistake her parents did, taking a freak in and treating it like her own child. She said I was just like my mother, a family stealing freak, but she wouldn't have any of it."_

Professor Snape stared at Harry in shock, his mouth hanging open slightly. If Harry hadn't been so terrified of the man, he might find it funny. Instead, he pulled Draco in front of him, making the blonde sit on Charlie's lap as well. Once he was barricaded between his mates, he peeked around Draco's shoulder, curious as to what the Professor would do next.

Professor Snape finally seemed to snap out of his shock, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Harry. "If I may, Mr Potter, I want to run a genealogy spell on you."

Harry nodded and watched the light purple light snake out of the professor's wand, hitting him in the chest. Lined of golden words rolled above the light, causing everyone except Harry to gasp in surprise. Harry looked up at his mates and tugged on Draco's shirt.

_"Is it something bad? What is it?"_

"It would appear, Mr Potter, that your mother was not Muggleborn." Professor Snape was still staring at the results of his spell. "Liliandra Lestrange, adopted as Lily Rose Evans by Andrew and Hope Evans, blood daughter of Robert Lestrange and Ara Black Lestrange. You, Mr Potter, are a pureblood."

September 4, 1991

Harry woke up surrounded by the warmth of his mates, Draco pressed against his back, and Charlie and Cedric's arms wrapped around him. There had been four four-posters in their room, but when Harry had woken up in the middle of the night of a nightmare, Charlie had pushed the beds together and then combined the mattresses through transfiguration. The result was the pile of limbs Harry was currently attempting to climb out of.

Someone groaned and Harry froze, half straddling Draco's knees. Cedric rolled to his back and sat up, staring at Harry. He smiled a sleepy smile, holding his hand out to Harry.

"Good morning, Harry. Were you on your way to get ready for classes?" At Harry's nod, he smiled again. "Right, well, we should wake Draco up too. He can't be late for classes on the third day. How about you go grab a shower and I'll have Draco up before you're out."

Harry nodded again and scurried to the bathroom.

As he showered, Harry thought about everything that Professor Snape had told him last night, and what Draco had added to it. Apparently, his mother was from a Dark family, a family that had ties to the very man who killed Harry's parents. Professor Snape told him that his mother's brothers, Rabastan and Rudolphus had been Death Eaters, and that they were in jail for torturing someone else's family the same night his parents had died. Draco had agreed, adding that Rudolphus was married to his aunt Bellatrix, and that he could remember hearing stories about them from his mother.

But something felt wrong to Harry. When Professor Snape told him that the Dark Lord, Voldemort, had killed his parents, something felt wrong, like there was more to the story, someone who had been there. He couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps the Dark Lord hadn't killed his parents. It didn't feel like that had been true to him.

He washed his hair, thinking about the comments Cedric and Charlie had had about his parentage. Charlie had said something about how his parents were going to freak out, and Cedric had told him that if their parents couldn't accept what was obviously the truth, then they were being idiots. According to Draco, Charlie's family were all blood traitors like Cedric's were, but Charlie had glared at the blonde, telling him that he and his older brother had never really agreed with the way their parents saw the world.

Harry sighed as he finished his shower, realizing that he had left his uniform in the bedroom. He wrapped a towel around himself and darted into the bedroom, opening his trunk.

"Oh sweet Merlin," Draco sounded shocked. "H-harry, I think your wings have come in."

In the next instant, all three of his mates were surrounding him, stroking the skin around the small wings that had emerged from his back some time in the night. Charlie's hand lightly rested against his left wing, causing Harry to gasp in surprise.

"I think they'll still have to grow a bit, they aren't really big enough for use yet, but they're beautiful, Harry." Harry stared up at Charlie with big, glassy eyes, causing the elf to laugh. "Does that feel good? When I touch your wing?"

Harry nodded and Charlie stroked his hand down his wing. A knock at the door had the boys breaking away and Harry hurriedly putting on his uniform as Charlie opened the door to speak to Professor Snape.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'll be honest. My love for this story is currently flagging. I'm working on several Criminal Minds stories that have far more of my attention than this one does. I will still do my best to update this one, but my muse isn't really there.**

**I have made a Facebook page to update people on when my fics are updated. Search Eskimita Fanfics if you would like to add it.**

**Enjoy!**

September 6, 1991

Harry woke to the sound of someone whimpering in pain and shot straight up in the bed, shrugging off Charlie and Cedric's arms. Sitting on the corner of the bed, Draco was biting into a pillow, sobbing. Harry scurried over Charlie, grabbing Draco's arm to pull the blonde's attention to him.

_"Dray? What happened? Are you hurt?"_

"Harry," Draco's voice dripped with pain. "My w-wings, my wings are coming in."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise before he was pulling Draco's nightshirt off so he could see what the blonde was talking about. He gasped when Draco's back was exposed to him. There were two long ridges bulging out of Draco's back, on either side of his spine. Harry watched as the ridges moved, like they were trying to break out of Draco's back.

Draco's whimper broke Harry's eyes away from the ridges and he looked at his friend in concern. Tears were flowing down Draco's face and Harry panicked, not knowing what to do. He rushed forward, grabbing Draco's face in his hands and forced Draco to look at him.

"_What do I do? Dray, I want to help you!"_

Draco stared at him for a moment, pain dulling his eyes. "Wake up Charlie. Elves-" he shivered as the ridges bulged again, "Elves can help dull pain."

Harry nodded and crawled back to where Charlie and Cedric had moved closer in their sleep, shaking the redhead's shoulder. Charlie groaned and rolled onto his back, staring at Harry through sleep-crusted eyes, sitting up slowly.

"Harry? Is something wrong?"

_"Dray's wings! He's hurt! You have to help him Charlie!"_

Harry pulled Charlie over to Draco, watching as his oldest mate pulled the blonde into his lap, urging Draco to rest his head against Charlie's chest. Charlie's hands ran down the ridges on Draco's back and Draco let out a breath he'd been holding, collapsing against Charlie's chest. Charlie's hands continued to travel up and down the ridges on Draco's back, easing the wings out of them slowly, brushing across the feathers to clear them of blood and help them lay flat. When it looked like Draco's wings were fully emerged, Charlie looked up at Harry, smiling.

"Can you go get Draco a cloth from the bathroom so we can wash his wings off? It only has to be a little wet."

Harry nodded and ran off to the bathroom, returning with a damp cloth a few minutes later. He handed it to Charlie and watched as he slowly ran the cloth down Draco's wings, smoothing them out and removing the blood.

_"Why didn't my wings hurt? Dray's hurt him, but mine didn't hurt at all."_

Charlie looked up and smiled. "A fae isn't the same as a Veela, Harry. Fae have slits in their back that their wings slide out of, sort of like the sheath a sword is kept in. Veela don't grow their wings until they've found their mates. Draco's still a little young to be getting his wings, but he did because I've already had my inheritance in effect for two years. And Cedric should be getting his inheritance soon, although since he's almost fifteen, it might wait until his birthday."

Harry blinked, confused. "_But Charlie, why do we get our inheritances when you get yours? What if someone got their inheritance but their mate was only a baby? Would it force the baby's inheritance too?"_

Charlie shook his head. "As far as I've read, nobody has ever had a mate more than eight years younger than them. You're seven and a half years younger than me, but you didn't get your inheritance until you turned eleven. I've read a few books about it, and the one that made the most sense to me said that if the older mate turns fifteen before the younger mate is eleven, he does not feel the pull to find his mate until the younger mate's eleventh birthday, or the first time the younger mate is exposed to a great deal of magic after his or her birthday. That's why I didn't feel you until you boarded the Hogwarts Express. Diagon Alley didn't have enough ambient magic to force your creature to recognize that you had a mate who was of age."

Harry still looked confused, but he nodded slowly. "_Will Draco be okay now?"_

Draco peeked up from where he was resting against Charlie's chest and nodded. "I'm fine now, Harry. It was just as my wings started coming in that they hurt. I'll be okay now. Thank you for helping me."

Harry smiled at Draco and scooted forward until he was pressed against Charlie's side, shyly trailing his fingers over Draco's wings.

_"They're so soft, Dray. They're beautiful."_

Draco smiled at him and burrowed closer to Charlie. "Growing wings takes a lot out of a boy. I think we should all go back to sleep. Come on Harry."

Charlie nodded his agreement and laid back against the bed, keeping Draco against his chest and pulling Harry in to lie against his side. "Come on, we'll all need our sleep. I'm sure this isn't the last excitement we'll have."

Harry yawned and closed his eyes, his hand resting against the white feathers on Draco's back. His head rested on Charlie's shoulder, breath mixing with Draco's as they slipped into sleep.

October 10, 1991

In the month since Draco's wings had come in, so much had happened to Harry and his mates. Now, there was an indisputable line between the Weasley siblings at Hogwarts, Fred and George siding with Charlie and Percy and Ron siding against him. The Slytherin first years had firmly decided to defend Harry and his mates after one quelling look from Draco. Now, the school was full of the tension between the two groups as each set out to hurt the other as much as possible.

The first time Harry had met the other Weasley siblings, he had been terrified. Charlie had joined them for breakfast in the Great Hall for the first time, sitting in between Draco and Cedric and pulling Harry on his lap. Four redheads had stood up from the Gryffindor table, each of them displaying a different amount of shock. They had all come over to confront Charlie, Ron wearing a smug 'I told you so' look on his face. Percy had demanded that Charlie leave the Slytherin table, telling him that he had no place there and looking at him in disgust when Charlie stated that he would sit with his mates. Fred and George had grinned at Charlie and told him that they couldn't wait to see their mum's face turn purple when she found out.

After that, the twins had started pranking Percy and Ron whenever they tried to corner Harry or Draco to bully them. The result had been an extraordinary loss of points for Gryffindor and the division of the Weasley household. Charlie and the twins were still getting howlers from Mrs. Weasley about their 'betrayal of family ideals.'

Harry had been distraught, thinking that Charlie would leave him because his mother told him to, but Charlie had told him that there was no way he would ever leave Harry, or any of his mates. It had taken a week for Harry to truly believe him, but at last he did.

Now, it was Cedric's birthday, and the mates were gathered together in their room, preparing for Cedric's inheritance. Charlie had told them about his own inheritance so they could prepare for Cedric's. To the side of the bed, there was a bowl full of fresh fruit and a pitcher of water. According to Charlie, the change wasn't painful, but it was exhausting, and afterwards, all Cedric would want to eat would be fruit. Because he wasn't expecting to grow wings, or anything much, other than longer hair and pointed ears, Cedric was in his warmest night clothes, settled in the middle of the bed.

Harry and Draco sat on either side of Cedric, each one curled up into his sides. Charlie said it might be easier for Cedric, if he could sense them once he had changed. Charlie himself sat at the edge of the bed, legs crossed, and eyes closed. He was the anchor of the group, keeping his younger mates calm, especially Draco, who tended to be a bit hot-headed. All it took was one touch from Charlie and the rest of them calmed. Now, he was providing that calm for the rest of the room, anchoring all of the emotions that were flowing through the room and pouring out a calm aura.

When the change hit, there was hardly any sign. Cedric stiffened slightly, tightening his hold on Harry and Draco. Harry looked up and watched as Cedric's dark blonde hair grew until it brushed his shoulders. His ears, previously perfectly round, grew slightly, ending in a point. When he opened his eyes, Harry gasped. Cedric's stormy grey eyes practically sparkled now, like drops of silver. Cedric smiled down at Harry and chuckled as his mate blushed, ducking against his shoulder.

When the last of the changes had ended, Draco grabbed the bowl of fruit and set it in front of Cedric. The younger two laughed as Cedric set upon the bowl like a starved man, eating everything inside it in seconds.


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm drunk updating. I'm warning you all of that right now. Enjoy because I have no idea what I wrote since I didn't really read through it. Add my facebook if you want to bother me.**

October 31, 1991

Halloween had always been a bad day. Since he was a 15 month old baby and had lost his parents, Halloween had been bad. Something always happened. This year was no different.

Harry huddled in the stall of the dungeon bathroom, tears falling down his face. He should've known that life couldn't stay perfect, that he would mess up and his mates wouldn't want him anymore. He shuddered as more tears fell. Everything was his fault. He shouldn't have tried arguing with Draco, he should've just listened. But Draco was being so scary! He couldn't help it!

Was it really his fault that he didn't want to go exploring the forbidden corridor with Draco? The Headmaster had said it was forbidden, almost like he was tempting the students to go up there. But Harry wouldn't do it. It was dark in that corridor and when Harry did things his uncle told him not to do, he always got in trouble.

When Draco had grabbed him and shook him, telling him that no mate of a Malfoy was afraid of a simple corridor, it had scared him. Draco was already so much taller than he was, and his blonde mate had loomed over him, yelling at him and telling him how worthless he was because he was afraid. As soon as Draco had let go of him, Harry had ran, taking off towards the dungeons and Professor Snape's rooms. But he didn't know the password to Professor Snape's personal rooms, so he'd ran to the closest bathroom, hiding in the farthest stall from the door, crying.

His mate didn't want him. Draco thought that he was worthless, that he was unfit to be the mate of a Malfoy. Draco hated him. Harry curled up against the wall of the bathroom stall, shaking. Professor Snape had said nothing bad would happen if one of his mates rejected him, but Harry had never hurt this badly before in his life. He couldn't stop shaking or crying.

Draco had been the mate closest to him, the one who sat next to him in all of his classes, the one who protected him from bullies like Ron Weasley. Draco was his best friend. To hear Draco say all those horrible things had made Harry feel like dirt, like he wasn't worthy of love. But he should've known that. Uncle Vernon had been telling him that all his life, after all.

*The Great Hall*

"Draco, where is Harry?"

The blonde looked up from the gouges he was making in the Slytherin table and scowled at his oldest mate, shrugging. "Dun know. He ran off."

"Why did he run off, Draco?"

"Cuz he's a baby."

Charlie growled, pulling Draco's chin up to look into the blonde's eyes. "Draco, what did you say to him?"

Before Draco could answer, the doors to the Great Hall opened and Professor Quirrell stood there, panting. "T-troll! In the dungeons!" The professor looked up at the High Table and met the Headmaster's eyes before he fainted, collapsing on the floor.

The Headmaster stood, ordering the students to return to their common rooms and ushering the teachers to follow him towards the dungeons. Draco remained at the table, staring down at it. When Charlie tried to grab him and drag him to Professor Snape's rooms, Draco looked up at his oldest mate, shame burning in his eyes.

"Charlie, Harry ran off towards the dungeons."

*In the Bathroom*

Harry sniffed. His tears had finally started calming. He opened the stall, moving out of it slowly. All of a sudden, the bathroom door opened. Harry stepped back, thinking that maybe his mates had come to find him. When he looked up and saw the ugly monster that had entered the room, Harry screamed.

The troll looked over at him, his club swinging out, hitting the top of the stalls. Harry screamed again, ducking back into the stall, hiding from the troll as it lumbered further into the bathroom. He didn't know what to do, how to protect himself. He just wanted to get away, for the troll to leave him alone. He could feel his magic lashing out around him, trying to protect him from the monster.

When Harry didn't hear any more noises, he peeked up from behind the toilet, staring in shock. The troll was floating in the air. Just as Harry was about to run out of the bathroom, Professor Snape ran in, sliding to a stop. He stared up at the floating troll in shock before he grabbed Harry and held the boy to him.

"You stupid, foolish boy, you could have been killed. What were you doing down here alone? Where are your mates?"

Harry made a muffled whimpering noise as he burrowed into the professor's shoulder, crying. _"Draco! Draco doesn't want me. He rejected me. And I don't know your password! I ran, and then- the troll! It attacked!"_

The professor held Harry close to him, rubbing his back awkwardly. When he heard a gasp from the doorway, he looked up and sighed in relief as Charlie, Cedric, and Draco entered the bathroom, Hagrid lumbering in behind them.

The three mates joined the professor, each of them reaching out to touch Harry, to comfort him. When Draco's hand landed on Harry's back, the boy flinched, jumping out of the professor's arms and scurrying away from his Veela. He looked up at his mates in fear, shaking as he tried to stay as far away from Draco as possible.

Hagrid, all but forgotten until this moment, stared at the troll in shock. "'Eadmaster, I swear, Billy did't mean no 'arm. 'E's really a friendly troll. I thought maybe Professor Kettleburn might like 'im, to teach 'is classes about. I left 'im in my 'ut, I did. 'E couldn't 'ave 'urt a fly. 'Armless, 'e is."

Charlie turned from where he was trying to coax Harry into his arms and growled at the giant, standing up. "You let that creature onto school grounds. You let a dangerous creature near my mate. He could have killed Harry! You foolish oaf! You should be fired! That thing could have killed Harry! Your foolishness could have killed Harry Potter!"

Charlie turned back around and gathered Harry into his arms, murmuring reassurances into his mate's ear. He looked at Draco and Cedric and motioned for them to follow him, storming out of the bathroom and to Professor Snape's rooms, leading all of his mates into their bedroom and slamming the door. Once he had settled on the bed, Harry safely in his arms, Charlie looked up at Draco, staring at the blonde.

"What did you say? What did you say to make Harry run away?"

Draco bit his lip and scuffed his foot against the floor. "He wouldn't explore the forbidden corridor with me. I heard Uncle Sev talking about it with Father, and I wanted to see what was hidden up there. Uncle Sev said something dangerous was hidden up there, something that he wanted to get away from the Headmaster. I dragged Harry with me to check it out. But he wouldn't go. He was being a scaredy cat. I told him that no mate of a Malfoy was afraid to explore anything. After that, he ran off."

Harry whimpered and hid against Charlie's chest, not looking at Draco. "_He rejected me! He doesn't want me anymore!"_

Charlie growled and pulled Harry closer, kissing his forehead. "Harry, of course he wants you. He loves you. We all do. He was just being a prat. Draco didn't reject you. He was being an idiot and we'll deal with him later." His glare made Draco whimper, ashamed.

Cedric stood in the middle of the room, staring between Charlie and Draco before sighing, walking over to Draco and pulling him over to the bed. "You need to reassure your mate, Draco. Don't let him think that you hate him."

Draco crawled onto the bed, slowly approaching Harry and laying a hand on his back. "Harry? Harry, I'm sorry. I do want you. I shouldn't have made you go to that corridor, and I'm sorry. Please, Harry. I didn't mean anything I said. You're my mate, of course I want you. You're my best friend."

Harry turned his head enough to look at Draco through one eye, still afraid the blonde would reject him again. After a few minutes of staring at Draco, he nodded slowly. _"One more chance. But please don't make me do anything scary again."_

The issue resolved, the two youngest mates curled up together on Charlie's chest, their older mates wrapped around them.


	10. Chapter 10

**I had several questions about the last chapter so here goes an answer.**

**Harry screaming sounds mostly like grunts and air escaping. His voice box has been removed, yes, but the human body makes a lot of noises. And to the reader who asked why they don't just grow back his vocal cords (great question by the way) the answer is simple: It's been ten years since they were removed. Most of the growth potions are used immediately or shortly after the accidents. After ten years, it wouldn't work very well.**

**Enjoy this chapter! I'm taking a week off to go nerd out at the Von Braun Center so I won't be updating anything.**

December 23, 1991

When the mates entered the Great Hall for dinner, Harry let out a surprised gust of air, pulling on Charlie's arm excitedly. "_It looks so pretty! Look at all the trees and the snow! Can we go touch one?"_

Charlie nodded and watched as Harry ran off to go investigate one of the Christmas trees that lined the Great Hall. "I don't think he's ever had a Christmas before." He looked over and exchanged a glance with Cedric, smiling in satisfaction when the other elf nodded at him. If their mate had never had a Christmas before then they would just have to make sure that this Christmas was everything that he could imagine.

December 25, 1991

As with all things within the halls of Hogwarts, Christmas Day could not pass by without interference from the Headmaster. What Cedric and Charlie had hoped would be a quiet holiday for their mates turned into something quite different, thanks to the meddling old man with a maniacal twinkle in his eye.

The day started off as the older mates had hoped, with a cup of hot chocolate in bed. Draco had to return to Malfoy Manor to spend time with his parents, but before he left by the floo, he made sure to give each of his mates their Christmas presents, promising to see them after supper that evening. Once he was gone, Charlie and Cedric set about making sure that Harry was bundled up in his warmest clothes before leading him to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Harry, unused to being anywhere other than his cupboard on Christmas, had no idea what to expect from the holiday this year. He, like Draco, had used catalogues to owl order small presents for each of his mates, but he hadn't really known what to get them. Thinking back to the few gifts he'd seen Uncle Vernon give to Aunt Petunia, he'd gone with the more practical things that he could find. For Draco, who had a tendency to chew on the tips of his quills, Harry had gotten a set of new quills as well as a box of Sugar Quills for him to eat. Cedric had been running short on parchment, so Harry had ordered him some that had Cedric's name and Hogwarts house seal embossed in it. When he'd given it to the older boy with a blush on his face, he'd received a grateful hug and a lingering kiss to his cheek. Charlie had been more difficult for Harry to find a gift for. The oldest of his mates had given up his career to be with them, refusing to return to the dragon reserve in Romania once he had found his mates. For the past few months, he'd been staying in Professor Snape's rooms all day, only leaving for meals. After Harry had seen him looking over some of Professor Snape's books, he'd finally found his answer for a gift idea. A quick owl to several bookstores in Hogsmeade and Diagon had given Harry a stack of books on different magical creatures and their beneficial uses in potions. When Charlie had opened the present, he'd pressed a quick kiss to Harry's lips, thanking the boy before burying himself in one of the books, a piece of parchment next to him so that he could take notes.

Even Professor Snape had received a gift from Harry, a small picture that the boy had found tucked in the Dursley's attic years before. It was a picture of his mother, a bubbly little redhead, and a dark boy, swinging in what looked to be an old park. When Professor Snape had seen it, his face had gone carefully blank as he stared at the image before thanking Harry quickly and sweeping out of the room.

After the presents had been distributed, Harry and his older mates were ready for breakfast before what Charlie had dubbed 'the greatest way to spend Christmas' would start. The three had just settled in at the end of the Slytherin table when an uproar started at the doors. A family of boisterous redheads pushed into the room, heading towards the Gryffindor table and calling for Charlie and his brothers. Ron and the twins were standing and waving to the other redheads and Harry could've sworn that he heard Percy's groan from the Slytherin table. Charlie set down the juice he had just poured for Harry and stood up slowly, one hand on each of his mates' backs. When the Weasley matron spotted him, she turned from her journey to the Gryffindor table and hurried towards him, a furious look on her face. On reflex, Harry moved behind his mate, using the redhead as a shield.

"Charles Weasley! What do you think you're doing? First you return to England without even writing me a letter and now Ron tells me you've been mated to three other men! And two Slytherins! What do you have to say for yourself young man?"

"Mother. If you would please lower your voice, I would appreciate it. My mate doesn't like raised voices." Charlie reached behind him and grabbed on to Harry's shoulder gently, pulling him to his side. "I am an adult and under no obligation to write you a letter regarding my career or my mates. I was planning to visit you on my own time once we've gotten settled, but I see the choice has been made for me. Go visit with your other children and I'll speak to you after I take my mates back to our room."

Mrs. Weasley reached up to grab on to his ear, determined to continue her lecture. Harry, scared that his mate might be hit or punished for talking back, stepped in front of Charlie and pulled her arm down. When she looked down at him, he shook his head at her and pushed her away gently, not moving from his protective stance.

_Charlie, please make her go away. I don't like her. She scares me. _Harry looked back at his mate, big green eyes glittering with unshed tears. Charlie's arms wrapped around him on reflex and he leaned into the embrace, reaching for Cedric's hand.

"Mother, go eat with my siblings. I'm going to take my mates back to our room and I will meet you in the Headmaster's office afterward." Before Mrs. Weasley could retort, Charlie led Harry and Cedric out of the Great Hall, murmuring about ordering breakfast from the house elves.


End file.
